WiMAX licensing will not happen this year

Malaysia’s first WiMAX licences will not now be issued until sometime next year, according to local news sources quoting Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik. According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms database, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) indefinitely postponed its tender for the licences in July 2006. The tender, covering the 2.3GHz-2.4HGz bands, was halted under order from the Ministry of Energy, Water and Communications (MEWC), because the terms of the bidding, set by the MCMC, were not in line with the MEWC’s own licensing regulations, most notably in terms of the roll out of infrastructure. The MCMC later said it would not relaunch the tender, opting instead to stick with the submissions it has already received from 17 companies, including DiGi Telecommunications, Maxis Communications, MiTV Corp, REDtone International and NasionCom. The MCMC had originally intended to announce the winners by 31 October, but has yet to provide a revised timetable for issuing the concessions or confirm how many licences will be granted. It has requested that all applicants re-submit their applications outlining nationwide business plans, as it will not grant concessions to companies looking to roll out only regional services. The government has said it will offer as many as four WiMAX licences, though it may only distribute two concessions in the first tranche.